Extract from almond hulls of compounds and fiber beneficial to humans, providing sports beverages, health drinks an ingredients for fruit bars, jams and jellies, and related methods.
The sweet almond, prunus amygdalus, is a stone fruit which has several unique features. It is commercially cultivated where there are long, hot, Mediterranean like summers, such as exist in Spain, Morocco, Armenia, Iran, Italy, California (U.S.A.), Australia, et al. It is unique, in that unlike others in its botanical family, such as the peach, apricot and plum, where the flesh (mesocarp) of the fruit is eaten and the seed within its shell, or stone (endocarp) is discarded, the reverse is true for the almond Early in its maturation cycle, for a period of a few weeks, the entire fruit (seed, endocarp, and mesocarp) can be, and is, eaten, in several parts of the world. As the maturation cycle continues, the seed finally becomes the almond xe2x80x9cnutxe2x80x9d of commerce, and the endocarp (shell), and mesocarp are gathered aside for low value uses, such as cat litter and animal feed. The mesocarp has become dry, leathery, and astringent to the taste, reflecting the fact that the mature sweet almond mesocarp has an unusually high concentration of flavonoids compared to its botanical relatives, as well as to other fruits. This is thought to be a consequence of the length of time that the mesocarp is subject to intense heat, ultraviolet radiation, and pest infestation, as the flavonoids play protective roles against all three of these plant stress factors. The extended maturation period of the mesocarp, flowing into a remarkably stable senescence period, also allows for biosynthesis of lignans in the mesocarp, compared to the comparative absence of those compounds in other fruits. The mesocarp, in senescence, following harvest of the nut meats, remains remarkably stable in that it retains its high sugars, flavonoid, and lignan content, for years, so long as the mesocarps, referred to familiarly as xe2x80x9chulls,xe2x80x9d remain in their dry harvested condition, having approximately 8%-20% water content, usually averaging about 12% free water.
In addition to these dry solubles, the hulls also contain insoluble fiber of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, tannin-like complex polyphenols, and ash. As dry hulls, therefore, the almond mesocarp represent a potential source of useful foods, food additives, pharmaceuticals, and feed additives, over and above low value usage as roughage or cat litter.
This invention describes the creation of a beneficial sports beverage that contains a unique natural mixture of sucrose, invert sugars, inositol, inositol phosphates, sorbitol, vitamin C, flavonoids, lignans, sodium and potassium, and smaller concentrations of soluble oligosaccharides, and tannin like complex polyphenols.
The mixture of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, and the oligosaccharides in these hulls, provide a source of sugar for energy metabolism, in a xe2x80x9cmeteredxe2x80x9d format, in that the sucrose and glucose are readily absorbed and metabolized, followed by fructose, and then the oligosaccharides. In this manner, a given volume of ingested beverage, which of course is predominantly water, will supply a more advantageous longer lasting input of energy providing carbohydrates, than a beverage containing, for example, merely glucose, or sucrose. Water replenishment is essential during periods of vigorous exercise, as well as during more average daily activities. However, excessive imbibition of water, can lead, minimally, to feelings of bloat and nausea, and potentially to the more serious life threatening effects of water intoxication, or hyponatremia.
Inositol and sorbitol, are both polyol molecules, and are also well known as xe2x80x9ccompatible osmolytesxe2x80x9d. They aid restoration of homeostatic osmotic strength of plasma, and intracellular fluid. In restoration of normal osmotic strength, the compatible osmolytes inositol and sorbitol are uncharged molecules adding to total osmolality, replacing higher concentrations of charged ions, which, in excess, interfere with normal enzyme activity via effects on enzyme (protein) active configurations.
In addition to compatible osmolyte function, the polyol molecules can also contribute to xe2x80x9chyperhydrationxe2x80x9d activity, very recently found to be a beneficial function of another polyol molecule, glycerol, in vigorous exercise. Hyperhydration intervention has also recently been postulated to be useful in preventing syncope (dizziness, and fainting) for astronauts upon return to normal gravity, after extended periods in zero gravity.
Inositol has further been found to be effective in promoting insulin activity, and thereby, effective glucose metabolism both as inositol, and as xe2x80x9cdownstreamxe2x80x9d metabolites of inositol which are active in glucose transport.
Finally, inositol and its metabolites, play essential roles in muscle recovery following sustained muscular activity, as part of the manifold of events which reconstitute the actin filaments of muscle structure.
The flavonoids in the almond hull beverage possess antioxidant activity currently thought to be effective in muscle recovery following strenuous exercise. Further, for very active athletic activity, over long periods of time, the potential for accumulated DNA damage, as well as damage to other biomolecules, through oxidative attack, can represent the first step in the multifactorial etiology of certain cancers which may not fully develop until many years have passed. Vigorous exercise is a high oxidation activity, and therefore the flavonoids in the almond hull beverage aid muscle recovery, and athletic performance in the immediate term, and contribute to long term health status through a lifetime. The flavonoids are also now well known to act as protective agents for the circulatory system and heart.
The lignans and tannin like polyphenolics also possess health protective activities, although the putative mechanisms of action for the higher molecular weight tannin like molecules are less well known at this time.
Sodium replenishment during prolonged, very vigorous exercise, is now recommended. For less vigorous activities, the major value of sodium in beverages is to increase palatability. Potassium plays an important role in muscle recovery and rehydration of intracellular fluid.
As the natural constituents of a fruit juice obtained from mature almond mesocarps (hulls) are beneficial for health, and for athletic performance, this juice should be obtained with as little loss of constituents as possible, compatible with maximal economic recovery of juice.
The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which: